It's time for a friendly reminder that Manta, the newest coaster at SeaWorld Orlando, will be featured in an episode of the new “Insane Coaster Wars” series on the Travel Channel this Sunday. The episode airs at 9:30 p.m. It's the second “Ins

The new "Insane Coaster Wars" coming to the Travel Channel this summer lets viewers take a virtual ride on many of the best roller coasters in the United States right from the comfort of their living room couch.
PHOTOS: 24 rides competing in "Insane...

Six Flags America is envisioning 2012 as the end of the world and wants visitors to take that last ride aboard a new roller coaster.
The Apocalypse, a thrilling coaster that will drop riders 90 feet, is set to open at the Maryland theme park on May 25....

A first-of-its-kind vertical roller coaster debuting June 30 at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom will take riders through a pair of twists, a towering heart-line roll and a non-inverting loop.
Dubbed Superman Ultimate Flight, the custom Premier Rides launched...

It already feels as if 2011 is shaping up as a tweener ye
ar for new rides and attractions at U.S. theme parks.
Last year saw the blockbuster debuts of Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal's Islands of Adventure in Florida and the "World of...

Both David Reed-Brown and Robin Lynch knew what they wanted to do with their lives when they were very young. Lynch was found dangling from her crib as a baby, the beginning of a lifelong love of aerial stunts. Reed-Brown did magic shows starting at age 7, but he set that aside to focus on computers, then later on theology.
Late in life, both returned to their true loves. After years in marketing, Lynch is now a professional aerialist. After years as a pastor, Reed-Brown is a professional magician and a...

Looking ahead to 2015, theme parks around the world are planning to add a host of new attractions designed to thrill ride enthusiasts.
Consider this a tentative and fluid list of new attractions on tap across the globe. As is often the case, some projects may get delayed while new ones get announced.
Let's take a look at the 32 most anticipated additions planned for 2015 at theme parks close to home, across the United States and around the world.
1) Shanghai Disneyland – New park
The 800-...

MIDDLEBURY — Ron Gustafson has called Quassy Amusement & Waterpark his summer home for 13 years now, and this could be the park's best year yet.
Gustafson is going home in North Carolina when the park closes early next month. He has been splitting his work time like this since he became director of marketing and public relations in 2002. The 60-year-old former news editor shoots all the ad photos and videos, writes press releases and TV commercial scripts, and manages social media and e-newsletters...

Wham! Bam! Ka-Pow!
A bruising brawl involving comic-book superheroes, Saturday morning cartoon characters and extreme sports icons will change the ride and roller coaster landscape of Six Flags' 11 U.S. amusement parks in 2011.
An intellectual property housecleaning at the amusement park chain has left Bugs Bunny, Superman and Scooby-Doo victorious and Thomas the Tank Engine, The Wiggles, Evel Knievel and Tony Hawk vanquished.
In a sudden about-face, Six Flags is undoing several licensing agreements...

Somewhere between Skull Island and the Crazy Horse Saloon, I lost her. There I was in the blistering sun of a Texas summer, a 7-year-old in rumpled shorts and a pixie haircut, suddenly missing a sister 12 years my senior.
I remember feeling afraid, but I didn't panic. After all, brave little girls don't come to Six Flags to cry, though they might go there to get scared witless on a roller coaster.
Back then, there was only one Six Flags. And not even its founder expected the venture to last more than...

Well, that didn't last long.
Six Flags Magic Mountain will relinquish sole ownership of the coveted title of "Roller Coaster Capital of the World" later this year when the Valencia, Calif., amusement park removes one of its record-setting 18 coasters.
Magic Mountain boasted of nabbing the coaster title when the Green Lantern: First Flight spinning coaster officially opened in July. The removal of Deja Vu will move Magic Mountain back into a statistical tie with Cedar Point in Ohio, which also has 17...